Freezing tray



C. STEENSTRUP March 19, 1940.

FREEZING TRAY Filed Feb. 1, 1939 Inventor Christian Steenstrup, y

. His Attor-neg.

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2.194330 FREEZING TRAY Christian Steenstrup, Schenectady, N. Y.; asslg'nor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York 2 Application February 1, 1939; Serial No. 254,059

8 Claims.

My invention relates to freezing trays for domestic refrigerators. I

Freezing trays, as usually'provided in refrigerating machines adapted for domestic use, are usually relatively shallow, rectangular metallic containers. In use, they are usually filled with water or other substance to be frozen and then placed on the surface of the cooling unit of the refrigerating machine in order to freeze the water contained therein. A partition assembly is commonly provided-in freezing trays of this type in order to divide the tray into a number of small compartments so that the ice will be' frozen in small blocks or cubes. In removing the ice cubes from the tray, the tray is usually placed in water in. order to permit removal of the partition assembly and release of the cubes from the tray. Water is then passed over the exposed edges of the partition assembly and the cubes until the bond between the cubes and the partition assembly is broken and the cubes fall out or can be pressed out by the fingers of the users. Since water expands on freezing, in the conventional type of freezing tray a wedging action is produced against the grids, tray and the other cubes therein so that considerable water is necessary to 'free the cubes and frequently much of the cube is melted and therefore wasted.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved arrangement for facilitating the removal of ice cubes from the freezing tray of a mechanical refrigerator of the domestic type which is simple and. effective in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following. description proceeds and the .features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. lis a perspective view of a freezing tray embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded view, partly in section, of the freezing tray and partition assembly shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, of the freezing tray illustrated in Fig. 1 as it appears when placed on thesurface of a cooling unit or evaporator.

Referring to the drawing I have shown a freezing tray III of relatively shallow rectangular construction having a flat bottom wall I l extending substantially throughout the length thereof. A

partition assembly I: including a longitudinal 7,

partition element It and a plurality of transverse partition elements I5 is arranged within the freezing tray ID. The partition assembly illustrated herein is described and claimed in my U. S. Patent 2,067,799, assigned to the same 5 assignee as the present application.

Adjacent one end of the freezing tray In an inclined bottom wall It is provided which extends across approximately half of the 'widthof the freezing tray and provides an inclined bottom wall for the ice cube compartment formed by the partition assembly l3 adjacent one corner of the freezing tray H). For example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the ice cube compartment in the lower righthand corner of the freezing tray I0 is provided with the inclined bottom Wall Hi, In a similar manner, an inclined bottom wall I1 is provided for the ice cube compartment in the upper lefthand corner of the freezing tray Ill. The liquid contained in the diagonally opposite corner compartments having the inclined bottom walls l6 and I1, respectively, will freeze subsequently to the freezing of the remainder of the ice cubes l8 due to the fact that the inclined bottom walls I6 and [1 do not lie in intimate contact with the freezing tray support or surface IQ of the cooling unit or evaporator 20 as does the fiat bottom wall H of tray l0.

While I have described my invention as having inclined bottom walls associated with the diagonally opposite corner compartments only; it will be obvious that the inclined portions l6 and ll of the bottom wall I l of tray l0 may be of greater extent and any substantial portions l6 and ll of the bottom wall may be so inclined as desired. The principal consideration is the areaof the diagonally opposite portions of the bottom wall which are out of contact with the freezing surface rather than the size of the diagonally opposite end compartments because partition assemblies or dividers are dimensioned differently in the various constructions thereof whereby different sized cubes of ice are produced.

As shown in Fig. 2, side walls 2| of tray I are outwardly inclined as indicated at 2|. As each cube freezes, a force acting between the partition element I4 and the side walls 2! will be produced. This force produces a shearing action on the partition assembly l3 and ice cube It since the cube, instead of being wedged between partition element and the side walls of the ice tray I0 tends to move upwardly along the inclined side wall thereby facilitating removal of the cubes from the tray and from the partition assembly.

It willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications of the above-described exem and; accordingly, the surface IQ of the evaporator 20. Furthermore, if desired, a tray of conventional shape may be employed and blocks of relatively low heat conducting material may be inserted in the diagonally opposite corner compartrnents or the afore-mentioned corner compartments' may be provided with partitions defining a dead air chamber which is interposed between the liquid to be frozen in the afore-mentioned corner compartments and the evaporator surface l9.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention I do not desire my invention .to be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A freezing tray having a partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments, the bottom w'alladjacent one end of said tray having an inclined portion extending substantially half way across said tray, the bottom wall adjacent the other end of said tray having aninclined portion extending'substantially across the other half of said tray.

2. A freezing tray having a partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments, the bottom wall of said tray asso ciated with one corner compartment and the corner compartment diagonally opposite therefrom having substantial portions thereof inclined with respect tosaid bottom wall.

3. A freezing tray having a partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments, one corner compartment having an inclined bottom wall extending substantially across said corner compartment, the diagonally opposite corner compartment also having an inclined'bottom wall extendingsubstantially across said diagonally opposite corner compartment.

4. A freezing tray having a partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments, the bottom wall of said tray associated with one corner compartment and the corner compartment diagonally opposite therefrom having substantial portions thereof abovethe plane of the remaining portion of the bottom wall of' said tray.

5. A freezing tray having a partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments, a substantial portion of the bottom wall adjacent one corner of said tray and also a substantial portion of said bottom wall adjacent the diagonally opposite-comer of said tray being arranged above the remaining portion of said bottom wall of said tray.

6. The combination of a cooling unit and a freezing tray having a bottom wall in engagement with a surface of said cooling unit, said tray also having a partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments, a substantial portion of said bottom wall associated with a corner of said tray and also a substantial portion of said bottom wall associatedwith the diagonally opposite comer of saidtray being arranged out of engagement with said surface of saidcooling unit. a

'7. The combination of avcooling unit and a freezing tray having a bottom wall in engagement with a surface of said cooling unit, said tray also having a partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments, one corner compartment having a substantial portion of its bottom wall out of contact with saidsurface of said cooling unit; the diagonally opposite comer compartment also having a substantial portion of its bottom wall out of engagement with said surface of said cooling unit.

8. The combination of a cooling unit and a freezing tray having a bottom wall in engagement with a surface of said cooling unit, said tray also having a. partition assembly normally disposed therein to form ice cube compartments stantial portion of said bottom wall associated with the diagonally opposite corner of said tray being arranged out of engagement with said sura substantial portion of said bottom wall associated with a corner of said tray and also a subfaceof said cooling unit, said tray also being providedwith outwardly inclined side walls. I CHRIS'I'IAN'S'I'EENS'I'RUP. 

